Through the last bit of brush, she saw it. Callista stared up at the magnificent waterfall before her. The haze of the falls caressed her skin, much appreciated after the long humid sweat of the jungle. But here they were, after all their struggle, and all their death. She turned to Mari, who smiled at her before they were both pushed aside by a much larger man. Queeg put his hands on his hips, looking at the fountain with not much more than annoyance. "Another blasted obstacle. Are you sure we're headed in the right direction?"

"That's the only thing I'm sure of." Rebecca replied, cutting through the wall of men to stand next to her stubborn captain. "And I have yet to be wrong."

"I'm down to 2 other crewmen, a stowaway woman-"

"Who just pulled you out of a lion's mouth." Mari spat back. Queeg scowled at her, but continued.

"And two busybody eggheads who'd rather collect flowers than carry a gun."

"It wasn't a gun that got us to the falls." Rebecca said, not even raising her voice. "Now would you mind standing aside while Ms. Wethers and I... collect more flowers?"

Queeg huffed, glaring down at Rebecca's arched eyebrows. Any bargaining chips he had were spent long ago. He stomped back to Mertin and Calloway, muttering obscenities while Mari and Callista huddled together in front of the falls. "Now we anticipated this when we scouted the island out from the water. Our predictions have come true for the most part, and if we're right then this is the last leg before we get to the source."

"Going off Dr. Hall's notes, she predicted whatever caused the flora and fauna of the island to mutate so aggressively must have come from a single location, based the nonlinear adaptations." Callista added. She was petrified from their experience with the cats, and the only way to calm herself was to dig deep into the facts.

"Correct." Rebecca said with sympathy. She didn't need to rehash what they knew, but there was no use snapping. "What we didn't predict, was the morale of the crew collapsing so quickly. Now, Queeg has lost thirty men in the last hour. He knows he can't order us around as much as he'd hoped."

"Even after I saved his life." Mari spat.

"Correct." Rebecca sighed again. "But even if we're evenly matched in number, we're not so evenly matched in strength. Each of those men is a foot taller than tallest of us."

She shot a look at Callista, who blushed. At 5'2", it wasn't much to be the tallest of the bunch. She didn't think she'd be much help if it came to blows.

"But they still want what we're after. And we have to rely on their greed outweighing their malice."

"Got any ideas on how to get in yet, Doc?" Queeg sneered, the other two laughing behind him.

"Having said that, their patience is wearing thin. We need answers and we need them now." Rebecca finished. 

"Dr. Hall's notes end here, at the fountain. She and her crew gave up after hours of trying to wedge between the pressure of the water. They just didn't have the resources." Callista replied.

All three stared up at the high falls. There was no climbing. And there was no going around. The only way was through.

"That was over fifty years ago. Surely we can come up with something." Rebecca said.

Mari kicked a stone, taking out her frustration on a piece of the island that couldn't fight back. She sauntered to the edge of the falls, resting against where the jet stream ended. She looked over at the three men, who couldn't help but look conspiratorial in their little huddle. She'd spent more time with them than Rebecca or Callista. She knew how ruthless they were, especially Queeg. He'd promoted himself to captain in record time once Fulton was eaten. She could see him practically glowing with unearned confidence. Why did it have to be those three to survive? She knew her two new friends had a slim chance of making it back to the mainland alive with Queeg in charge. He'd happily let them stay on this godforsaken island for what would surely be the short remainder of their lives. The only way to stay alive was to give him what he wanted: the vein. The magic vein they'd all been promised. One that could give them eternal youth, impossible strength, who knows what else? It was all a fantasy to Mari, until she saw the creatures of this island. The massive birds, the razor-toothed cats. The fact that only half of the animals they saw were strange didn't register with her, but it would very soon.

She watched Rebecca and Callista fiddle with instruments and take more samples, as her eyes shifted to the men. Her gaze locked with Queeg as he let slip a fiendish smile. Their time was running out. She knew he would cut them loose within minutes. Her eyes clenched, her fists tightened. She kicked the cliff wall with her heel, and felt something give.

A deep crack rode up the cliff. The entire crew stopped and listened to the low thrum of activity as Mari backed away from her repose. From where she stood, a rock remained still as the rest of the cliff vibrated. It was circular, and smooth, compared to the rest of the edifice. Mari stared deeply at its strange makeup.

"It's almost like..." Mari whispered.

"A wheel." Callista finished.

"No," Rebecca added. "It's a crank."

They all watched as the cliff returned to its steady rhythm. Slowly, little divots in the crank became visible, as Queeg approached looming over them. "Boys, come take a look."

The three of them pushed the women out of the way, as they fondled stupidly at the rocky crank. "Try turning it." Callista said, before kicking herself.

Queeg turned at looked at her, flustered. "Hear that, boys? She thinks we should TURN it."

The other two made loud, mocking noises of understanding. There was no love to be lost between the remaining factions of the crew. Queeg turned back to the crank, and ordered the two to pull with him. It was heavy, and rough against their hands but Rebecca watched with astonishment as the strange inlaid wheel began to turn. "Harder, boys! Look!" Queeg shouted.

Their heads all shot toward the sky as a chunk of rock began to jut from the center of the high falls. With it, an opening began to form beneath, revealing a wet, dank cave. The men's muscles bulged, giving their all to spin the wheel just a little bit further to let the rock canopy settle. They wheezed as the crank found a spot to lock in place. They stopped to marvel at the door that had opened for them. "Not too shabby, boys." Queeg huffed as the three women hid their disdain for the glad-handing. Not a word of approval was said to them.

"Figure it's safe?" Calloway asked.

"We should send someone in to-" Queeg was cut off from his dastardly plan by that familiar thrum. The rock canopy began to recede. They watched as the crank began to spin back to its natural spot. 

"Should we go in?" Callista asked, startled.

"Not much time to decide!" Mari replied, racing into the cave before she'd even finished speaking.

Rebecca chased after her, "Come on, Callie!" she shouted. Callista took a deep breath. She looked back at the men, who seemed too startled to make a decision, and ran after her only friends left on the island.

"Now or never, boys!" Queeg shouted, pushing Calloway and Mertin in front of him as they all lumbered through the rapidly closing gate.

With a boom, the falls came crashing back down behind them. Callista stared at the thick, impenetrable curtain of water before her. "So we're trapped."

"Not necessarily." Rebecca shouted from the side of the cave. Callista turned to see a similar crank on the rock wall, with Rebecca leaning against it with a smile.

"We made it." Rebecca wheezed. "Further than the Hall party, we're pioneers. The discovery is our's."

"Discovery of what?" Mertin asked, looking out past the cave into a clearing on the other side. Rebecca walked out into the clearing, and took in her surroundings. It was a large, hidden valley, surrounded by a wall of rock.  The cliffs were too high, and too treacherous to climb without serious equipment. This terrain had obviously been untouched for centuries, if not millennia. Almost the size of a small town, the area was surrounded by beautiful flowers and winding vines, like an edenic oasis. Callista marveled at the different plant life creeping around the rocks and stones. She touched one, and felt its delicate fibers between her fingers. Everything in the valley had thrived without human intervention for so long, it was pure, fragile, wondrous beauty. 

"Watch your step." she whispered. "Everything here is a precious capsule of information."

The three women crept out further, exploring the valley. Queeg and his men stomped behind them, glaring at what they saw to be a whole lot of nothing.

"Maybe I'm just some big ape, but I suppose I expected some sort of... I dunno fountain of youth? Big ass tree with golden apples?" he snorted. Calloway and Mertin laughed.

"Well, perhaps you'll settle for this. Take a look here!" Rebecca called. She was on the far cliff of the valley, her face pressed against the wall. They all joined her, Callista scribbling furiously in her notes as she went. They watched Rebecca press her hand against the rock. "Feel that? It's petrified wood. I don't think this is a valley at all. I think we're inside a very old tree."

"My god, Rebecca." Callista gasped, scribbling faster. "If the trunk is this size, the roots could be deep within the earth. Deeper than any plant life ever recorded."

"I'll do you one better. I'd wager this whole island is one big tree. We've been traveling through it's root structure the whole time. This is truly marvelous." Rebecca laughed.

"Very funny, ladies. Now where's the good stuff? The stuff me and my boys risked their lives for? We were promised some magic." Queeg snorted.

"Is this not magic to you, you baboon?" Rebecca shouted, suddenly furious. Her joy had lost against the frayed nerves of the journey. Queeg stood there, a human reminder of just how difficult this had all been. A fantastic discovery wasted on an oaf in search of a toy. She spun around, taking her hand off the wooden wall. "This is a discovery that could change the world of science. In my book, there's nothing more magical than that." She shot an accusatory finger at him, and that's when she saw it. When they all saw it.

Her hand was drenched in a bright, amber liquid. "Some sort of sap." Rebecca said, absent-mindedly. She couldn't take her eyes off the stuff caked across her index finger. Callista was next to her in a heartbeat, staring into it with her pen in hand. Rebecca's eyes shot to her, before returning to her finger tip. She moved her finger to her nose. "It smellls... sweet." she gasped. She moved her finger to Callista to smell, who nodded in shocked approval.

Callista looked up at Rebecca's hand again, and caught a look in her companion's eye that terrified her. "Rebecca, no. It could be poison for all we know."

"Then there's no choice but to know." Rebecca whispered. She put her lips around her finger and sucked the sap from it in one go. Her lips curled into a smile as she felt the sweet nectar drip down her throat.

"Oh, Rebecca." Callista gasped. "How could... how do you feel?" Her concern shifted to curiosity in record time.

"Good." Rebecca replied. "Strangely rested. I-"

She stopped, suddenly. Her eyes tightened, she grasped her stomach, and winced.

"Oh, god. I knew it." Callista wailed. She watched as Rebecca doubled over for what felt like an eternity. Then, suddenly, she stood up straight.

"Callie..." she whimpered. Callista watched as Rebecca's eyes moved from just below her gaze to several inches above it. Her body pressed against her sweat-soaked safari blouse as her wrists snaked out past the sleeves. Her chest pressed against the buttons of her shirt, as Callista could see the faintest hint of her nipples beneath the wet fabric. "My word."

Callista looked straight ahead at the tip of Rebecca's nose. Now standing at 5'4", Rebecca breathed heavy with the weight of the impossible before her. She stared down at her once taller friend with eyes full of amazement. "I'd say we found the cause of mutation."

"Hear, hear!" Queeg cheered, as he pushed Rebecca away from the wooded wall. He pulled his machete from his pack and hacked away at the petrified surface.

"Stop that!" Rebecca cried, trying to force the machete from Queeg's grasp. Calloway and Mertin pulled her away as they all got to work digging at the vein. Sap began to flow freely from their chops, and once Queeg deemed it enough, they pressed their fat, sweaty hands against the flowing amber to catch what they could. They wolfed it down like savages, tasting the sweet nectar as they took more and more handfuls. Mari crept up next to them, sneaking a small handful for herself. She smelled its sweetness for only an instant before covering her finger with a morsel and licking it clean.

"Wait, wait!" Queeg stopped them. They all stood, watching intently. "Nothing's happening."

The men looked down at themselves, waiting for some miraculous change. But it never came. Queeg's face twisted in rage. He stormed up to Rebecca, and grabbed her by the collar. "What did you do?"

"I only had a small sample." Rebecca said, with mock stupidity.

"Well how come it doesn't work anymore?" he snapped.

"I think it does." Mari announced. They all spun around and watched as the small asian woman's figure became fuller. Her head rose slowly as her baggy shirt became more snug against her. Rebecca and Callista carefully walked up to her, watching as her head rose slowly above her own. Callista took even more notes, raising Mari's arms like a specimen under a microscope. Mari giggled.

"This is fascinating." Rebecca remarked. Callista began pulling several vials out of her traveling case, catching the sap with them as it fell. She filled them, one by one, careful not to get any on her.

"What did you do that we didn't!?" Queeg snarled, suddenly in front of them. Calloway and Mertin crept up behind him. They were surrounded. 

"Nothing, I just tried a little." Mari snapped. She refused to be intimidated by them, even now. Especially now. She could feel the presence of the sap behind her. She knew the key to them escaping was all around them.

"You better start talking straight or we'll get real crooked." Queeg said, raising his machete. 

"Maybe it's a chromosomal response." Callista shouted. They all turned to her, face buried in her journal. The seriousness of the moment was lost on her research mind kicking into full gear. "We noticed certain fauna were much smaller than others in their group. I had marked them down as children, but what if they were..." she stopped. She knew what she would say next would lead to an outburst.

Queeg did, too. He was just waiting for permission. "Say it."

"Males?" Callista finished.

Queeg spat. "Alright, load up as much as you can into your packs. We're out of here."

"What are you doing?" Callista said, shaken from her intellectual stupor by Calloway and Mertin shoving her aside. "There's so much more to discover."

"Not for us. There's no more benefit for us being here. We'll take the stuff, and sell it to whoever can find a use for it." Queeg said, filling his flask with the amber.

"You can't do that. We haven't even begun to study its longterm effects. We have no idea what we could be unleashing onto the world." Callista stammered.

"We'll only know when we know." Queeg grinned. 

"I... I can't allow it." Callista said. She found her courage in the devastation that could await them. 

"Oh, we figured. Ok, boy's let's wrap up here." Queeg said, raising his machete toward the two smaller women.

"Do your worst." Mari snarled.

"That's all I know how to do." Queeg laughed. He raised the machete over his head as Calloway and Mertin grabbed the fleeing Callista. They stood wedged in, staring up at the blade glinting in the hot, tropical sun. Callista felt her heart beat behind her eyes. She felt bile in her throat. This was it. But she'd die with her integrity. And her discovery. Like a scientist.

A hand caught Queeg's wrist as it made it's way down. Queeg spun around, realizing only now that Rebecca had become too quiet. Now he understood why as he stared straight forward into her furious face.

"I detest cliches, but you've caught me at an opportune moment. I feel I should say 'pick on somebody your own size' before that becomes untrue. Oh! Too late." 

Queeg watched as Rebecca grew larger in front of him. Calloway and Mertin dropped their machetes in sheer terror as they suddenly found themselves staring up at a 6'8" woman rippling with muscle through her ruined clothes. 

"My god." Mertin gasped.

"I'm no god." Rebecca stated. "But I can still stop you." 

She pushed Queeg aside, taking the machete from him. She stared down at it, her eyes wild with curiosity. She took the blade between her hands, and slowly moved them together. They all watched as the machete snapped in half under her powerful grip. "Write that down, Callie".

Callista nodded, shocked, as she scribbled faster and faster in her journal. She stared up at her gigantic companion, her eyes now level with her exposed nipples. 

Then Queeg tackled her. Callista watched as Rebecca's massive body hit the floor with a low rumble. Queeg spat at his two comrades, "come on! She can't take all of us!"

Mertin and Calloway raced into the pile, as Rebecca furiously kicked and punched at the three of them. She was losing ground, fast, and Mari could see it.

"We have to help her." she nudged Callista, shooting her eyes toward the flowing vein behind them.

"I... I'm not sure I can-" Callista shook.

"We don't have time!" Mari said, slamming her palm against the wall.

"No!" Queeg roared through the melee. "We can't let them get more!" He kicked Rebecca hard in the back of her head, watching her go limp as the three of them rose from the scuffle, and grabbed the other two women before they could reach the sap.

"This is getting real complicated, Queeg!" Mertin shouted.

"When do we cut bait?" Calloway added.

"Leave now, and leave with your lives." Rebecca said. They all turned to see her stand to her full, intimidating height. "That's my final offer." Her body showed no sign of struggle. Her breath was controlled, and steady. Calloway and Mertin wheezed in complete fatigue. They dropped Mari and Callista, raising their hands in defeat.

"I'm not satisfied." Queeg spat. 

"You will take us back to the mainland. You will leave everything where it is. You will tell no one of what we found here." Rebecca stated.

"I said I'm not satisfied!" Queeg replied. "I demand something for my trouble! I don't care if you're a little bigger 'an me, I've fought bigger and won."

Rebecca laughed. She ripped the remains of her shirt from her shoulders and sauntered up to the blustering Queeg as he continued talking.

"Now you either let me walk away with some of this sweet stuff, or I'll see you all buried at sea." Queeg glared up at Rebecca, who was now looming over him with eyes like a panther. Her lips spread into a wide, hungry smile. Callista watched, startled by this sudden change in personality. She'd never seen Rebecca so bold, so in control. 

Rebecca moved her face closer to Queeg as she wrapped her hands around his wrists. He was stuck, pinned against the wall by her powerful grasp. He thought she would kiss him then, but her neck craned up suddenly, as her lips pressed against the flowing sap. Queeg watched as her neck distended, filling with nectar as she guzzled it down for almost a full minute. Then her eyes were on him again. He stared intently into her gaze as he watched it move upward, further and further away.

He felt his feet leave the ground as her grip became tighter around his wrist. Callista watched horrified as Rebecca's pants tore off her, as her head rose higher and higher toward the clouds. The top of Callista's head moved from the crook of Rebecca's arm to her hips, to her knees in an instant. The four of them now stared up at the mountainous woman holding a dangling Queeg in her hand.

"Goodbye, Captain." she breathed, and threw him like a baseball away from the valley. He disappeared from their sight in a second, as Rebecca's massive hand covered her eyes and she squinted. "I think he made it to the sea." she said. "Hard to tell from this point of view."

Rebecca looked down at the four remaining souls who stared up at her naked, titanic body amongst the delicate foliage of the hidden valley. She smiled down at them, and lowered herself to a crouch. She hugged her massive knees as she stared at all of them. "This certainly feels new."

Even crouched, she was still a few inches taller then even the lumbering Mertin, who stared at her like a babe in the woods.

"So, back to my deal. You will take them back to the mainland. You will leave everything where it is. And you will tell no one what you found here. Are we agreed?" Her gigantic hand shot out at them. The two of them flinched before they realized it was a handshake. The two men looked at one another, before deciding it was safe. They both took her hand at the same time, trying their best to shake her heavy fingers. She giggled at that.

"Them?" Callista asked as the men walked away, collecting their things, and dropping their jugs of sap.

"Hmm?" Rebecca purred.

"You told them to take them to the mainland. So that means..."

"That means she's not coming." Mari spat. 

Rebecca felt their concern and their anger all at once. They felt betrayed.

"You two must understand. I can't go back like this. I gave up my life the minute I first grew."

"Easy choice for you." Mari snapped. And Rebecca understood. The woman who had saved them time and again had given her life for them in a way they could never repay. And now she was trapped here. They were going through a complex sequence of emotions. And they needed someone to guide them through it. She sighed.

"I'll walk you out." She stood up to her full 15 foot height, and began to walk toward the cave. The two small women had no choice but to follow her big footsteps.

"This place is incredibly dangerous. We expected that before we came." Rebecca explained. "But I didnt' expect the greatest danger to be here. We cannot let more people stumble onto this place and use it irresponsibly. Even our party, a team of mostly scientists and explorers, devolved into caveman politics before we even made it to this... vein. What this island needs is a protector. And I think I am the most qualified for the job."

As they made it to the cave, Callista watched as Rebecca crouched down to wedge herself into the entrance. It was like watching a goddess in real life. Her body was superhuman in a way science was not ready to fathom. Even with the weight of her heart, she knew Rebecca was right. She only hoped she had the strength to handle it.

"We've done so much together. Saved each other countless times. I know it feels like you're letting me go, but I need to be here. And you don't." With that, Rebecca turned the crank on the side of the wall as if it was the knob of a sink. The doorway appeared in an instant. Mertin and Calloway smiled nervously as they watched the effortless strength of this new Rebecca. They shot toward the exit. "Hold on!" she roared, stopping them in their tracks.

"If I see you two again, or anyone else who even reminds me of you, if I find out that these women did not make it back home safely, I WILL leave this island. And I can see a pretty long way away. Get me?"

They both nodded. "Lady, we didn't even like that guy." Mertin stated. For some reason, Rebecca believed him. She laughed, louder and louder as she fell on her ass, grasping her knees. She got comfortable, seated, as she watched the two men scuttle out of the cave. The door began to close as she caught it with her hand, keeping it open with a small fraction of effort as her laugh came to a halt. She turned to Mari and Callista, staring right back at her. She looked down only a few inches at them with a warm smile. "The men we left on the ship should still be loyal to us. If you can get through the jungle with those ingrates, you should be safe."

Rebecca turned to them. "It's been quite the adventure."

"One for a lifetime." Mari said, wrapping Rebecca in as much of a hug as she could. Rebecca hugged her back, feeling her small weight against her massive chest. "Don't get into too much trouble out there."

"Not on your life." Mari said, giving Rebecca's cheek a mocking punch as she raced out of the cave.

Rebecca sighed. She didn't even have to look at Callista next to her to know what she was thinking. 

"Yes, I'm going to let you take the nectar with you." she sighed again.

"Rebecca, I swear I wasn't hiding it from you."

"Of course you were." Rebecca smiled. "You're a scientist onto the discovery of a lifetime. And I can think of no one more trustworthy to study whatever it is that happened to me. To all of us."'

Callista choked out a sob. This woman had become family, better than a sister to her. And once again she was handing her a miracle.

"I know you'll be careful. But promise me you won't be unchangeable." 

"What do you mean?" Callista asked.

"I hope this discovery lets you find some things out about yourself. And you'll stop acting like you're not part of this world. I love you, Callie."

"I love you, Rebecca." she sobbed.

Rebecca let go of the crank. The door began to close. "You have to go." she whispered. Callista hopped in place, hoping desperately to find some reason to stay. She thought of the vials in her case. If she became like Rebecca, she could stay too. With her. But the thought her change terrified her all the more. She ran away, out of the gate and into the open air. She spun around, watching the water collapse back into place as the smiling, waving Rebecca disappeared behind it's curtain.

---------------

Callista stood in front of that waterfall thinking of the face that was waiting for her behind it. It had been years, but it still felt like yesterday. All this time, all this way, all this pain, just to see her again. To let Rebecca know that she had let the world change her. She had grown into a full person. A person she could be proud of. A person she could look down on, even a little less.

Mari patted her on the shoulder. Elaine had collected herself and stood with them. She offered Paul a sip from her canteen, who took it gratefully. It was the closest he would get to an apology from the little heiress. "How do you feel?" Callista asked.

"Whatever Mari did seems to have helped. I'll manage until we get back to the boat. Barring any unforeseen trauma." He saw her eyes fall at that. "How do you feel?"

"Frightened." Callista breathed. "But in a familiar way. So we'll call it comfort."

She watched as Mari broke away from the group to rest against the wall next to the waterfall. She gave Callista a wink and kicked with her heel. The cliff rumbled just as it did long ago, and the crank revealed itself.

"Would you look at that." Ulster gulped.

"We'll need everyone on this." Mari said, already gripping the crank. "Turn it with me, counter clockwise."

Ulster and Paul looked at one another. They nodded and stepped forward, placing their hands on the crank. Paul winced, feeling his side come loose. 

Callista watched, already at his side. She took him gently by the shoulder and moved him aside. "I can do it." Paul wheezed.

"You don't have to." Callista replied. And then they were turning. Elaine watched as the rocky canopy emerged slowly from the top of the cliff. "Egads." she whispered.

Mari gritted her teeth as she tugged harder and harder. It was even more difficult than she had imagined. She thought of Queeg and his men, and just how strong they were. They could have certainly killed them with ease had Rebecca not saved them.

"I'm losin' it!" Ulster shouted, feeling his grip loosen. 

"No!" Elaine gasped as she watched the canopy retreat back into its hole.

"We're just lacking the manpower. I apologize." Ulster said, tearing up. The journey had taken more out of him than he'd wagered.

"We can't give up here. We won't." Elaine stomped.

"What do you suggest?" Ulster asked.

Without a word, Callista pulled her last vial from her pocket, and downed it in an instant. Mari gasped as she watched her friend let go of all her trepidation and finally give in. 

Callista's eyes shot open wide. She grimaced as her body went into a clench. She'd never felt this much growth so quickly. The powerful mix of discomfort and pure ecstasy radiated within her as she felt her shirt snap down the middle. Paul watched as her breasts bounced out of their confines, with her blouse now hugging her frame like a second skin. She wondered what it must have felt like for Rebecca in that last time, if it was heaven and hell all at once. She could ask her herself, very soon.

Callista turned to Mari, staring down at her from a few inches above. "Six foot eight." Elaine whispered to no one.

"Shall we give it one more try?" Callista asked. Mari nodded, grabbing the wheel, with Ulster joining the both of them.

The crank turned and turned as the canopy came to its locking stop. "Everyone in, quickly!" Callista commanded.

They all hustled in together, watching the falls return to their place inside the cave. Callista helped Paul get his bearings as he clutched his side. He stared up at her, his eyes now level with his mouth.

"I'm not sure when I'll get used to that." he joked.

"Believe me, there's a lot more you're going to have to get used to in here." Callista said, giving him a small peck on the lips. She took him by the shoulder as they stepped back into the hidden valley.